Using AVS/Express in an Introductory Computer Graphics Course

Arline F. Wilson, School of Computing and Information Technology, University of Wolverhampton.

At Wolverhampton University we use AVS/Express as a tool for teaching visualisation as part of a level 2 graphics module. In this 15 week module, normally taken during the second year of study, we teach the students to use 2D images to implement some of the standard algorithms in computer graphics: -

• draw a circle
• rotate, scale, and translate a 2D shape
• window to viewport transformation
• calculate the co-ordinates of the intersection of 2 lines
• zoom in and out, and pan up/down/left/right
• Bezier Curve drawing to fit 4 points

Then the students study visualisation by creating data for a 3D shape from either a 2D profile (using the "draw a circle" algorithm they have already coded), or a regular grid of surface co-ordinates, finally creating an animation of their image.

This presentation explains how AVS/Express is used to visualise the data created by the students, and gives some examples of their work.